Just had yet another welcome guide shared just the day before the sit starts and it contains information that, had I known, I would have not agreed to the sit, and contradictory information to what the host had told me in our video chat. Also the address is actually not accurate to where the host said they lived. This sit has been booked in for over a month, had I had the welcome guide immediately, it would have given time for me to cancel based on having been incorrect information. Instead it leaves me very very stuck with a dog with behavioural issues that I was not made aware of!
I have had to arrange another call with the host at the last minute to discuss this.
This platform just keeps getting more and more frustrating, this is not the first this this has happened and sometimes there isn’t even a welcome guide at all.
I am not sure what the best time for receiving the welcome guide should be, but I agree that it should be shared automatically before the start of your sit.
I often have to remind the hosts several times, before I actually receive it.
Especially with repeat sits, they often seem to forget to share it.
It’s annoying. It shouldn’t be on the sitters to beg for getting the sit details.
I mean even while you’re on this sit, this still won’t be accessible to you.
As for the host not giving you the accturate informations upfront… not much you can do, even with having the guide upfront… You can be lucky it’s updated.
You actually received a different address to what was discussed in the call?
That would honestly freak me out a bit… Or was the guide simply not updated?
Ugh!! That really stinks and is very unfair. I hope you leave an honest review.
As soon as you are confirmed you can click the “request welcome guide” button and see if that sends a message. If you still don’t get it within a few days, send a PM asking for it.
I am surprised at the number of hosts who do not use the WG at all! They have their own document which does not always have as much info as the WG requests. It’s frustrating. We have had some lovely sits with no WG - usually their own version is sufficient but we just had one where their version left a lot of info out that the WG would have asked them for.
It should be REQUIRED by all hosts to fill the WG before listing a sit. Period.
Personally, I won’t make travel plans until I have a welcome guide. I click the ‘request welcome guide’ button immediately after accepting the sit. If it isn’t sent within a week, I send a nudge. Having done 75+ sits, I’ve learned to require the welcome guide and to do so early for all the reasons in this thread. Providing the information needed for a sitter to prepare for the sit and have necessary info if an emergency arises is the HOs responsibility. If they don’t want to do their part the we aren’t a good match for this type of partnership.
Curious why I can’t edit my posts anymore, but just wanted to add that I agree the welcome guide should be required by THS (I’m fine with alternate versions that HOs could upload). It actually should be released after the HO confirms, but before the sitter accepts.
They changed the edit facility to <30 minutes.
I haven’t had one for my next sit, but I’ve done it before, so not too bothered. Some hosts find it a bit challenging i think.
@BonnyinBrighton . Just tried to edit my post, a little test. Can’t do it. Ignore that, it’s just been fixed.
I tell prospective hosts during our video chat that I’ll arrange travel after I receive their departure and return details in writing, and after I receive their welcome guide. That automatically motivates them to send them well ahead of a sit. I’ve never had a problem getting those.
Sitters are the equals of partners, not at their whims or mercy. We have agency and should uphold standards and boundaries.
It also helps to have a fallback plan for any sits accepted, so you can look after yourself, in case a host doesn’t live up to the exchange.
Personally, if someone surprised me with dealbreakers, I would cancel, no matter how late. Even if I arrived and had to leave right away, before a host did. Why: To me, it’s not worth sitting at all if it means sitting for jerks, exploiters, bullies, etc. Why would any sitter pay to be taken advantage of?
You are well within your rights to cancel this sit
Maybe it’s time to introduce a mandatory, comprehensive pet care guide to the listing.
Alternatively, one to be sent by the HO when offering the sit but more importantly before confirmation of acceptance can go ahead.
This would allow the sitter to have full knowledge on the pet care required.
Leaving less room for uncertainty and vagueness especially when it comes to dogs.
The current initial Resposibilties section ls often lacking in essential information.
Also helps the sitter be on a more equal footing on the platform and able to make a better informed decision.
While I think there can be value to perhaps setting some sort of timeline by which the host must provide the guide, there is nothing stopping sitters from asking for it if getting it by a certain time is important to them. While I agree it should ideally come sooner than the day before, if sitters don’t speak up, the hosts may not think it is a problem.
Sitters who feel strongly about this might also consider discussing the guide with the hosts prior to confirming, letting them know their expectations around receiving this information.
I understand that some sitters may feel uncomfortable asking for it, but if that is the case then then there is really nothing more to do than just wait and hope the host sends it sooner than later.
I have yet to run into any serious issues with seeing a guide only shortly before the sit starts or sometimes not even until I arrive at the house. So this is not important to me personally. If this ever does cause me any serious issue, then I may reconsider my relaxed attitude towards it.
But wanting to get this information well ahead of time is a perfectly reasonable preference, and again, for people for whom this is very important, the best course of action is going to be talking to the host prior to confirming and getting confirmation they will send it by the time you want it sent.
As hosts we have our own Welcome Guide which is a Word document. We had started filling the THS version at first but quickly found that the format wasn’t very easy to fill with two many questions as to what information is better mentioned where. With a Word document it is easier to organize the information and add pictures or format certain information in a table format (ex. calendar of things to do).
We have two versions of the document: one without the more sensible information (ex. contacts) that we share with the sitter after our chat and before they confirm. The complete one, which doesn’t change anything to the important aspects such as responsibilities that we only share in the weeks prior to the sit in case we needed to make last minute changes to contacts or certain things in the apartment or the area. We also have English and French versions of both documents because we have had both English and French speaking sitters. That was also one of the reasons we didn’t use the THS format welcome guide.
Almost the same!
I redact some contact with information (eg emergency contacts names and numbers) and other sensitive information (codes to get into the house) until 2 weeks prior to the sit.
Otherwise I share the full welcome guide prior to confirmation. I actually send a link to the Google doc when setting up the video chat, so sitters can confirm they want to proceed before anything is confirmed! Why not do it this way, always? Transparency first!
It’s not just about pets, it could be anything that they withheld and only to share last minute such as having a tennant or works going on at the property or anything breaking the deal
I recently withdrew an application because the owner refused to share a list of things to do, as they particularly mentioned gardening, I asked what tasks, and they said mainly watering, so there’s going to be more than watering that they’re not comfortable to share